Far from being crème de la crème, the combination of a Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset (with Adreno 200 graphics) and 278MB of RAM runs the Froyo show smoothly. Unlike the complete redesign of the main menu that we saw on the early prototype unit that we previewed, in the final Galaxy Ace the Koreans used a traditional version of TouchWiz UI. This translates into the usual garments of a black side scrollable main menu and four quick access icons on the bottom, which define the user interface.

The homescreen and the main menu of the Samsung Galaxy Ace

Unlocking the handset is done in the traditional sliding-the-lock way. From there on, the standard Froyo experience takes over. One notable addition is pinch to zoom support in each of the homescreens as well as the main menu. In both cases an overview of all the pages appears allowing you to quickly navigate between them.

The unlock screen

The overview of the homescreen pages

The overview of the main menu pages

On the software side, you are treated with Samsung's AllShare app which makes sharing over DLNA to a supported device like an HD TV a breeze. The inclusion of a built-in Task Manager, which you can access by holding down the single physical key or via the settings menu, allows you to view running apps and how they affect the performance of the Galaxy Ace.

Android has the best Google appssuite in the industry and this handset is no exception. The Gmail, Google Maps (version 5.2), YouTube and Google Talk applications are virtually on par with their desktop versions both in terms of functionality and speed. In addition, the full version of ThinkFree office in its document editing glory contributes to a comprehensive software package.

Google Maps

Android Market

Camera and Multimedia:

The 5-megapixel shooter on the Galaxy Ace surprised us with its good performance and reasonable amount of options in the menu for a relatively affordable handset. We found images to be reasonably detailed, with accurate color representation and above average dynamic range. You're presented with a set of options such as different shooting modes including smile shots, continuous and panoramic shots. An array of scene selections will fine tune your picture and you can also switch the focus to macro mode. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated shutter key, but the menu offers rather intuitive on-screen settings.

The gallery

The camera interface

Outdoor samples made with the Samsung Galaxy Ace

Strong

Medium

Low light

Darkness with flash

Indoor samples

With a relatively capable 5-megapixel shooter, we expected to see an equally good video capture, but that is simply not the case. Video is recorded in the terrible QVGA resolution at 15fps - only good for viewing on a small screen or for multimedia messaging.

The video camera interface

Samsung Galaxy Ace Sample Video:

The 3.5-inch screen opens the door to video playback, but we could only play MPEG-4 files out of the box. A quick download from the Android Market (we tried RockPlayer) adds support for DivX/Xvid encoded files, but choppy and just plain slow playback rates were an issue when playing files at around the native resolution. A slight decrease in quality helped, so while you might encounter some issues with it, the Galaxy Ace could be considered for entertainment on the go, especially given its support for expandable memory of up to 32GB via microSD cards.

Internet and Connectivity:

The Galaxy Ace has the stock Android browser, which would have been great if it came with Flash support. Was it because of the 800MHz processor or something else, Adobe Flash Player wasn't available for download from the Android Market. Except for our futile attempts to install the player, browsing was a pleasant experience with smooth scrolling and full support for multitouch actions like pinch to zoom. On the downside, we could only open up to 4 tabs, so extreme Internet multitaskers could be disappointed.

Surfing the web with the Samsung Galaxy Ace

Connectivity is well represented by 3G with download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps. You also have Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 and GPS. The handset's conveniently located microSD card slot on the side allows hot swaps of microSD cards with capacity of up to 32GB. The internal memory is only 158MB, but Samsung has included a 2GB microSD card in the package, so space shouldn't be an issue for your basic app needs.

25.Ashraf Sello (unregistered)

4.prometheus (unregistered)

6.5?! you got to be kidding me! don't tell me that this phone is worse than for example the xperia x8, or the galaxy mini or even the galaxy 3 (which is a piece of crap). cmon guys, don't make us feel dissapointed! and anyways: a 3 page long review? this is not something like a pro PA review. what happened to you guys?!

8.Flavine (unregistered)

Welcome to iPhoneArena, where every phone gets compared to the iPhone, even if it's a mid-range costing almost 1/3 of the iPhone's price. How about editing the iPhone review under 'CONS': No Gorilla glass unlike Samsung Galaxy Ace.

9.meme de peux (unregistered)

@raman

Yeah, phonearena's reviews SUCK.. they can't even keep track of their past reviews, and much less give objective reviews of current phones. I had a Galaxy 5, which is just a hair different from the galaxy 3, and I tell ya that the Galaxy ACE deserves atleast an 8.0 rating (I would give it a 9).

I bought a Galaxy Ace 3 weeks ago, and the phone is SUPER compared to my previous galaxys. The 3.5" screen is tough (I found out yesterday from sum guy in a forum that its gorilla glass) against scratches, and the UI is very very pleasant to use, especially the Texting/emailing interface.

But it is the camera and LED flash which really sets the Ace ABOVE even the Galaxy S (which regrettably, doesn't have any LED flash despite being 2x the cost of the galaxy Ace). All my pictures taken with the camera and flash are very good, with excellent detail and contrast. And the fast 800 mhz processor enables fast uploading of my pics to the web (600 mhz phones stutter when I try to do this often).

The wonderful ThinkFree editing app is pre-installed, which is a blessing, since I wanted a doc editor since I can't remember when, but all my past phones always DON'T HAVE ONE, ironically. Now, I can edit my job resumes in the privacy of my flat, and upload them to jobsites with no problem, using my phone. Same goes for emails.

Personally, I think Samsung gave much, more thought into the making of the Galaxy Ace, than any of the other phones -- from the sophisticated design, to the thoughtful placement of the SD card at the right side and the putting of a slide door over the microUSB port, to the nice placement of the LED flash under the camera (so when you put it on portrait mode, the flash will be at the side of the camera), the use of sturdier gorilla glass on the 3.5" screen, and the inclusion of a white color option aside from the regular black one --- makes it a truly WONDERFUL, SUPERB mid-range phone.

11.kash (unregistered)

15.Vikas (unregistered)

Hi Mate, m using this phone since two weeks exhaustively.....its really a beauty....screen touch feel is WoW!..jst small turn back is average video quality, pictures clicked is excellent,,,battery life is good rest depends upon usage....i listened songs continuously over 6 hours...with few call in between,,,played video for about 4.5 hours continuously...with some calls in between....facebook is not there inbuilt...have install from sites...FB lost connections most of the times...believe that might be internet issue....Gmail and gtalk..youtube is working excellent with other applications....Cannot play 3gp & dvix format directly...its great phone in this price band with looks..i did lots of R&D before buying this phone in my budget of 15K (India)....hope this will help

40.max (unregistered)

24.SenthikumarP (unregistered)

Hi , I have been using this phone for 2 weeks now , installed a lots of free apps from the android market.

1. The battery life is extended if you switch off Wi-fi, GPRS (APN), bluetooth etc (which is easy if you pull down the task bar). It had to recharge after 52 hours only when my battey showed 20% remaining and i started using the Wi-fi. I have the battery indicator app installed.
2. the phone appears to slow down when u install lots of app which reside in the Phone memory. I had to cleanup a few of them and the rest moved it to SD using 'App2SD' app whichever was moveable. There still are other apps which reside in phone memory (like Facebook, linkedin etc)
3. Exchange mails (Outlook web access), Yahoo, google mails all can be configured easily. I was also able to configure Office communicator ('Office Talk Free') app and it worked with ease.

12.neo (unregistered)

Battery lasts for about one day two tops. And yes the review sucks.the phone deserves a 8 to be fair. Bought it and love it. Use a few softs from market and it so so flexible. No reason to think of the wawe.

14.satz (unregistered)

hey guys,
i ve x10mini and i'm very disappointed with the battery life.. i'm planning to buy this awesome set please guide me about the battery life
fyi i already have iPhone 3gs and yes i understands the these type of phone drains the battery very fast (depends on usage) but i ve experience some awful with x10 mini ...

16.ajit (unregistered)

17.Patum (unregistered)

you know whats funny they complain now and then about browser not supporting flash and crap like that, they didn't even bother to point that out on the iphone, why is that? Iphone is like the perfect phone even tho you can't change the ui and so on seriously start doing proper reviews and compare the phones with another phones within the price range and for what kind of public they are designed.

18.veekay (unregistered)

Just bought the Samsung Galaxy Ace today, and so far I have a great feeling about it.

Ace has a rock-solid build quality, with the rough textured back panel giving a slip-resistant grip and all the useful buttons laid around the sides thoughtfully (all metal buttons, with covers for the USB port, memory card and camera). There is only one physical key on the front face (which is the HOME key), with 2 soft/virtual keys ACTIVATE/MENU and GOBACK/CANCEL keys (that activate once the phone is unlocked). I would have preferred dedicated physical keys for these actions, as they are useful if the phone or a call ever freezes.

The 16M colors display with gorilla glass is just awesome, and though it is not Super AMOLED, it is still a visual treat. Live Wallpapers are fun and they work. Scrolling, tapping, typing, or pinch zooming with the capacitive touch sensitive screen and viewing videos/photos is a sheer pleasure.

Without even charging the phone for first time, I have been using all its features heavily since past few hours, and it still shows half battery meter. I am sure that if I use it moderate-heavily (without the usual battery-draining data services like GPS & Mobile Office/GPRS always enabled), it will easily last me around 1.5 days average. 1350mAh battery is good, though I would have preferred 1500mAh. Remember, most of all the smartphones these days will drain battery easily due to bigger screensizes, frequently-web-syncing apps, HD music/video playback and 3D games. Nokia phones have better battery, but with lesser features at heavier costs.

Ace is loaded with good apps (though Facebook app needs to be manually searched and installed later). The full-version ThinkFree office suite is just perfect for business users. The phone never feels sluggish, and all the apps load up fast, even the Google Maps and Youtube app. The GPS and gravity/gyro sensor are accurate, with almost all the default apps having motion-sense responsiveness, so switching from portrait to landscape or vice versa is almost instantaneous.

I must commend the WiFi and GPS reception. The Ace perfectly found and configured my WPA2-AES protected home WiFi network, and Android 2.2 has support for advanced features like static IP, multiple DNS servers, etc. Ace has much better antennas than all my other portable devices, and I found web surfing to be a breeze. It is almost like browsing on your desktop PC, albeit with a smaller screen.

I didn't find many apps in the Samsung market (I live in India), but I don't care, since the internet with flooded with gray-market apps. First, I need to install an antivirus solution. :-)

The Ace has so far shown me a very stable and pleasurable UI and Android finally seems to have matured with its 2.2 Froyo version (my past experience with Android 1.6 and 2.1 devices hasn't been good, especially with Wifi connectivity and app stability).

Galaxy Ace seems to be Samsung's ace in the Android hole. HTC and other vendors better wake up.

19.Sudarshan (unregistered)

Purchased this phone 3 days ago and I believe this phone is awesome package in its price range... The only down side I find is the Battery life with is disappointing and camera does not fully justify 5MP tag

37.prabu (unregistered)

21.Ashraf (unregistered)

i am using this phone from last 15 days.I bought it around rs.13.5K from Delhi. 3 gd things about this phone are 1)feels like an iphone 4 in ur hand 2)Android 2.2 which can be upgarded to 2.3/gingerbread 3)gd still camera at this price range.......3 bad things about this phone are......1)Battery life is poor 2)Despite having 800 mhz Arm v7 processors with adreno 200 Gpu cant play .mkv, .avi files @ natural frame rates and hangs on a regular interval 3)regular call drops while talking+bad video recording.....On the whole phone is just an average at the end considering its price i think dell xcd 35 @10500 rs would have been a better choice for me as it can be upgarded to android 2.2 by the retailer with same screen size(3.5") and a slightly lower processor and still camera however its video recording is better..

22.Sahil45 (unregistered)

Hi, I'm planning to buy the Samsung galaxy ace, I simply love the phone but there are two questions. Firstly, Is this phone better than the Dellxcd35 and secondly if it is better than shall i extend my budget and get the Samsung Galaxy S LCD, Im a bit confused
Thanks!!

23.Rei (unregistered)

I've been using my Galaxy Ace for about a month now. I was originally planning to buy the Galaxy S but changed my mind since i'm not really going to need all that extra muscle (or the bragging rights) to run my apps.

So far i'm really happy about the Ace. It feels responsive and zippy most of the time. Sometimes there's some lag when playing games on it because I used SetCPU to slightly underclock the phone to save on battery. With moderate use it can last me a good 2 days (again, with the phone slightly underclocked) before the battery is completely drained. The issue of the browser not having flash capabilities isn't a big deal for me. What bothers me though is the measly video recording resolution which is a downer (but i can live with it) and watching any video above VGA resolution can take its toll on the Ace's CPU.

Other things i liked about the phone is the call quality. It's clear and the Ace never dropped my call even in remote areas where signals are weak. The wifi is also something i really like on this phone, its really fast! The still camera shots are also excellent for a phone, much better than some current nokia smartphones (higher megapixels doesn't mean better pictures after all).

26.Ashraf Sello (unregistered)

Pros:
- Very good phone for a fair price.
- Excellent Operating System (Android 2.2) with tons on FREE SW ready to download
- Good Camera with Flash
- Great multi touch screen appear also good in outside morning light
-----
Cons:
- Battery life is not good, But not too bad
- No Ear phones in the package
- No external button for the camera
-----
Finally, I really recommend this phone to buy.

27.v (unregistered)

28.Sunny.Lalwani (unregistered)

the critics r nuts
this phone is excellent
i have it from the past 3 months and i havent been dissappointed
This phone deserves atleast an 8.5
excellent apps, good camera+flash and a greath operating system
totally worth it :D

32.kevinluke (unregistered)

33.nhj (unregistered)

hello. i've been using this phone fo about a month and to date i've got absolutely nothing wrong with this ace. it is friendly user i must say, since this is my first time im using a smartphone. the battery life so far is okayy.. still depends on the usage. just switch off whatever apps that may drain the battery life like gps, wifi and so on. the camera is great! got lots of features. eventhough personally i prefer sony ericsson for the better camera. browsing is soo smooth.. depending on the internet connection. got doc apps that are great. the speaker are also loud n clear. viewing youtube video is really satisfying.
overall, for a fair price of a smartphone, ace is the smart choice. ;)

34.Utopian (unregistered)

This people do not know the impact of a review, After reading this review, If it were not for the users comments, I will take back deffinetely my decision of buying this Samsumg Galaxy Ace, THANKS YOU ALL FOR YOUR REALISTIC COMMENTS !!!! I will buy it :D

35.Amaw (unregistered)

I've had this phone for a week...and I love it! Calling & texting are a breeze....I like the Swype technology...GPS is awesome...Internet is great! I have my Facebook and Kindle free apps as well as Scrabble, Sudoku, notepad, Yatzee, Jeweled, Angry Birds (some free, some .99 cents..... Netflix is audio/visually sync-ed a bit off, but watchable.... I can't even imagine a better phone for the price... My only regret is not getting it before now... I give it a 9.9!

38.Rom (unregistered)

Hi guys!! I'm using Galaxy Ace for 3 months....for me it is quite fast and i love the design..the camera is good..the sounds is a bit loud..the only prob is the battery life which is very short....it only last for 5 hours......

guys what do you think, it is ok to use the battery of this phone as a replacement to my battery?(i just bought a galaxy y last november 16 and im too disappointed with its battery life, i wonder if its ok to use some battery.))

Flash Player 11 For galaxy ace on any version of rom this will work even on stock roms of galaxy ace to﻿ download go to sgatechwork.blogspot.in working tested with youtube web metcare facebook video online games ads etc on galaxy ace s5830 device

Hello everybody! Please help choose between Galaxy Ace, which has a Gorilla Glass display and amazing 5MP camera, and Galaxy Mini 2, which has a better processing power and is newer. Which phone has a better battery life in a real life, not written on the paper. Please help me!!!

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